1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control device, in particular in a motor vehicle, having a rotating actuator which is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation, it being possible for control parameters to be input into the device by means of rotation of the rotating actuator.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the increasing complexity of devices, in particular within the context of functions of mechanical subassemblies being taken on by electric or electronic subassemblies, in particular in combination with servomotor drives, control devices of the generic type have become greatly diverse. The great advance in innovations in conjunction with function displays in the control of devices has revolutionized the ergonomics of control devices. Advantageous operating concepts take into consideration the particular characteristics of human anatomy and the particular application. The increasing complexity of devices necessitates an increase in the bidirectional flow of information between the person and the machine and so further sense organs in addition to the eye are included.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,772 discloses a control device of the generic type, in which, in addition to an optical display, a haptic feedback indicates in sensory fashion to the user the function which has been selected. A great disadvantage of this control device resides in the extremely limited input possibilities. The device has too few ergonomically advantageous mechanical degrees of freedom. The implementation of a high number of degrees of freedom in a control device of the generic type places the ergonomics before problems which have not been solved to date, since a high number of degrees of operating freedom can become too complicated for convenient operation, in particular in a motor vehicle, and too low a number of degrees of operating freedom can force the user, in the case of a complicated device having a large number of functions, to move through endless menus in an unacceptably time-consuming manner in order to select the desired function.